Europe
Russia
Capital Moscow · 144M people · Ruble
- Top cities
- 14.4MMoscow
- 4.9MSaint Petersburg
- 1.3MNovosibirsk
- 1.1MYekaterinburg
- 1.2MNizhniy Novgorod
Photo by Michael Parulava on Unsplash
- CostAffordable≈36% under Europe
- SafetyCaution2.2/5
- MobilityDecent3.0/5
- CultureGood3.3/5
- ClimateVariable-28–32°
Top cities
- Moscow14.4M residents
- Saint Petersburg4.9M residents
- Novosibirsk1.3M residents
- Yekaterinburg1.1M residents
- Nizhniy Novgorod1.2M residents
Source: GeoNames
Cost of living in Russia
Affordable for Europe.
Its $1,272 median runs ~36% below Europe's median major city ($1,992); Moscow ($1,583) runs 1.5× Yekaterinburg ($1,075).
Good to know — low cost often trades against local salaries and visa options — budget for income, not just spending. Learn how we measure this →
Safety in Russia
The one thing to watch: wildfires.
Most hazards across Russia sit in a normal range — wildfires is the one area that runs higher.
Good to know — a calm national average can hide neighbourhood-level crime — research the specific district you would live in. Learn how we measure this →
Getting around Russia
Mobility in Russia depends on the city — Moscow leads, Krasnoyarsk trails.
The country average (3.0) hides a wide spread: Moscow reaches 3.6 while Krasnoyarsk sits at 1.6. Choose by city, not by country.
- Moscow3.6
- Saint Petersburg3.2
- Yekaterinburg2.8
- Kazan2.6
- Nizhniy Novgorod2.4
- Krasnodar2.4
- Sochi2.4
- Novosibirsk2.2
Good to know — strong airport access can coexist with weak everyday transit — check the mode you would actually use. Learn how we measure this →
Culture in Russia
Culture in Russia concentrates in its big cities — Saint Petersburg leads, Krasnodar is lighter.
The country average (3.3) is carried by a few cities: Saint Petersburg reaches 4.1 while Krasnodar sits at 1.3. Check the specific city, not the country.
- Saint Petersburg4.1
- Moscow4.1
- Yekaterinburg2.5
- Kazan2.3
- Vladivostok2.3
- Irkutsk2.2
- Samara2.1
- Rostov-na-Donu2.1
Good to know — a strong national culture score can be carried by one or two big cities — check the specific city, not only the country average. Learn how we measure this →
Airports in Russia
Sheremetyevo International Airport is Russia's busiest gateway.
18 major airports handle about 162M passengers a year. Tap any to see its nearest cities and how far they are.
Good to know — passenger volume is total throughput, not direct-route breadth; a large hub can still lack flights to your region. Learn how we measure this →
Passport strength in Russia
Russia's passport offers solid global access.
- Mobility
- #42113 destinations
- GDP reach
- #8336.9% of world GDP
- Heritage
- #80572 of 1,353 UNESCO sites
Good to know — a mobility rank counts how many destinations you can enter, not how useful they are; a strong passport can still gate the one place you care about. Learn how we measure this →
Climate in Russia
Big seasonal swings — hot summers, hard winters.
Across its cities, summer highs top out near 32°C feels-like while the coldest spots dip to around -28°C; sunshine is moderate, topping out near 218 days in Sochi.
Feels-like °C — monthly range across cities
Good to know— a country isn't one climate but a range; the extremes here are different cities, not the same place across seasons. Learn how we measure this →
Who thrives in Russia
Russia suits a wide range of lifestyles.
Fit is scored per lifestyle and anchored to the cities that serve each best — Outdoor Enthusiast leads. Pick one to see exactly where it works.
Great fit
Decent fit
Good to know — fit is by city, not country; a lifestyle that thrives here may only do so in one or two of its cities. Learn how we measure this →